Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
The word “mate” hung in the air between them.
“You’re not understanding me,” she said, vulnerability in her eyes now.
He pressed forward, his hands bracing the desk on either side of her hips, caging her in. “Oh, I understand you. Scared little girl who’s afraid to take a chance. Terrified of counting on somebody. Of being let down.”
She sucked in a breath. “Shut up.”
“Mature,” he countered. “But you’re not seeing me.” His tone turned raw, his chest heaving as he reined in the storm inside him. “I have spent my entire life keeping people safe, Lyrica. My people. My cousin until he betrayed me. My newly found brother. And now you. Do you think I can just turn that off because you want to play like some rebel from a television show?”
She blinked up at him, her breath coming faster now. He could feel the heat of her body, the way she responded to his nearness even as her instinct for self-preservation, the one that forced her to shield her heart, tried to kick in.
“I’m not playing anything.” The war battling inside her emerged with a new octave in her voice. “This is who I am, Vero. You don’t get to decide that.”
“You don’t get to decide my role in this,” he shot back. “I do.”
She froze at his words, her lips parting as if to speak, but no sound came for several tense seconds. Finally, she swallowed. “We didn’t mate on purpose.”
“I know.” He gentled his tone. Somewhat. “But this is where we are. It’s too dangerous to take that virus, so we’re not doing that.”
She faltered. “You can’t want to stay mated.”
Ah, there she was. The female who thought she was alone in the world. “I do—with everything I am.”
She blinked. Desire darkened her stunning eyes along with a healthy note of disbelief.
He’d have to show her. His hand slid into her hair just enough to tilt her head back and expose the column of her throat.
“Take all the time you need to learn this,” he said, his voice rough, his thumb brushing her jaw. “You’re mine, Lyrica. I won’t let anybody harm you—whether you like that fact or not.” Whether she worked with him or not.
Her pupils dilated, her lips trembling as his words washed over her. “You can’t control me,” she whispered, though the defiance in her voice was fading.
“Control has a lot of connotations,” he said, his other hand sliding to her hip, possessiveness gripping him. “I want to protect you. To shelter you. You’re a fighter, and I like that, but this fight you can’t win. So don’t waste your time.” He couldn’t be anybody other than who he’d become, so he let her see all of him.
Her breath hitched, and he didn’t give her a chance to argue. His mouth crashed down on hers, claiming her with all the emotion he didn’t know how to express. She gasped against his lips, her hands fisting in his shirt as she gave in to the pull between them.
Fire and fury, the kiss turned into a battle of wills that spiraled heat through his body as if he’d been shocked. He swept his tongue into her mouth, tasting sass and berry tea, demanding everything she had to give. She met him with equal passion, her nails biting into his shoulders as if trying to anchor herself.
His hands moved to her waist, lifting her onto the desk with effortless strength. She made a sound—a mix of protest and surrender—but he silenced it with another kiss, his lips trailing down her neck to the twin indents he’d already marked her with. But they weren’t deep enough. Not even close.
“You drive me insane,” he murmured against her skin, his voice hoarse with need. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to know there’s someone out there who would kill you just to get to me?”
Her hands slid into his hair, tugging hard enough to make him growl. “I was relatively safe.”
“Relatively is unacceptable.” His lips trailed lower, his teeth grazing her collarbone. “I’m telling you that I’ll tear apart anyone who tries to hurt you. Keep that in mind next time you venture out against orders.”
Her breath shuddered out, and she arched against him as his hands slid under her sweater. Her skin was warm beneath his palms, her heartbeat hammering against his touch.
“Vero,” she said, her voice breaking on his name.
He pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, his hands framing her face. “You have never had anyone put you first, have you?”
She blinked at him, her lips trembling, but she didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. He already knew.
“I will, Lyrica,” he said, his voice fierce. “Every single day, I will put you first.”
Her lips parted, and for a moment, he thought she might push him away. But then she pulled him closer, her body melting into his as if she’d finally stopped fighting.